A young woman (Mare Winningham) struggles with her own need for independence and the obligation she feels for her hearing-impaired parents (Ed Waterstreet, Phyllis Frelich) in this depression-era drama. A friend (Sid Caesar) sees her turmoil and tells her she must find happiness on her own. However, the initial joy she finds in marriage starts to strain under the guilt she feels for deserting her parents and the bitterness they express towards her.